Tensions boiled over late Thursday night when Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli exploded on an umpire as the Twins fell in extras, 4–3, to the Detroit Tigers.
It happened in the 11th inning, with the Twins looking to rally. Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers appeared to foul-tip a pitch that may have grazed the dirt before settling into the catcher’s mitt. But the umpire ruled it strike three.
Baldelli exploded out of the dugout and hollered at the ump, “No f***ing way. You f***ed it up, man,” before tossing his hat onto the field. He was immediately ejected.
That punchy outburst wasn’t just about one call. Former Twins closer turned broadcaster Glen Perkins weighed in, suggesting the real issue lay in how the entire strike zone was being handled throughout Tarik Skubal’s outing.
“This has as much to do with the strike zone throughout the game when Skubal was on the mound as it does with this play right here,” Perkins said, capturing the broader frustration simmering beneath the surface.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected after telling the umpire, “No fucking way. You fucked it up man.”
Glen Perkins: This has as much to do with the strike zone throughout the game when Skubal was on the mound as it does with this play right here. pic.twitter.com/VtrK9QknDg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 15, 2025
Trading haymakers on and off the field, the Twins had grabbed an early 3–0 lead behind a lefty bomb from Eddy Julien and clutch RBIs from Ryan Jeffers and Luke Keaschall. But Detroit clawed back behind Riley Greene’s two-run homer and tied it in the sixth. Greene later robbed Byron Buxton at the wall in what’s arguably the night’s defensive highlight.
Ultimately, the ejection came at a brutal moment. With hopes kindled in the top of the 11th, Baldelli’s exit ended momentum—and the Twins failed to score. They lost the game when Royce Lewis struck out on a check-swing to end the inning.
This marked Baldelli’s fourth ejection of the season. More than just a blowup, it reflects a string of perceived inconsistencies in umpiring that’s grating on both manager and team alike.
